Quote: Tommy Griff @ 23rd August 2022, 11:42 AMForgot to address the Speight interview - I can't remember much of it, but I THINK Warren M was with him in the interview. But maybe he was more than once.
I don't know, I'm afraid. I'd need more detail to even try to find it. They were both interviewed a lot, and in 1990 In Sickness & In Health was still current and very popular, so would've likely been on a mini-promotional tour for the latest series.
Never knew about the Pilot and Booth's diminished role in the ongoing series.
Fascinating.
Quote: Lazzard @ 23rd August 2022, 11:59 AMNever knew about the Pilot and Booth's diminished role in the ongoing series.
Fascinating.
IIRC he was always higher billed than Una, and I think Dandy too - but yes! Interesting how these things change.
Quote: Aaron @ 23rd August 2022, 11:52 AMI don't know, I'm afraid. I'd need more detail to even try to find it. They were both interviewed a lot, and in 1990 In Sickness & In Health was still current and very popular, so would've likely been on a mini-promotional tour for the latest series.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0341861/?ref_=nm_flmg_slf_3
Not much info in there but would love to know if it exists anywhere - seemingly not on YouTube, as far as my search quality goes anyway.
Sounds great!
Seems strange in retrospect not to have Alf as the main character from the start, demonstrates how shows develop. Very interesting.
Quote: Aaron @ 23rd August 2022, 11:04 AMIf you're interested in learning about the series in-depth, I highly recommend Mark Ward's excellent biography A Family At War. It's currently out of print but you should be able to find second-hand copies via our links.
Kindle edition (whatever that is) £4.88 on Amazon.
Has it got pics?
(Kindle is shit for pictures)
Hard copy available - but three times the price.
Question I have about Joan Sims in this, who plays 'Gran'.
How the hell is she Gran to Else, who refers to her as Gran? Or is she Gran to Rita? Because there are scenes when it's just Else and Gran, whereby Else isn't calling her 'mum'.
Is Joan Sims supposed to be playing a 90 odd year old woman? As Else is probably supposed to be mid 50s?
Thinking of questions and observations as they come to me (sorry)
Why did both Una Stubbs and Anthony Booth not star in the 1972 Film of the show? They return in the later series.
Quote: Lazzard @ 25th August 2022, 10:29 AMHas it got pics?
Nope.
Quote: Tommy Griff @ 25th August 2022, 2:19 PMQuestion I have about Joan Sims in this, who plays 'Gran'.
How the hell is she Gran to Else, who refers to her as Gran? Or is she Gran to Rita? Because there are scenes when it's just Else and Gran, whereby Else isn't calling her 'mum'.
Is Joan Sims supposed to be playing a 90 odd year old woman? As Else is probably supposed to be mid 50s?
Alf and Else's ages are never clearly defined that I recall, but as Alf is not yet retired until quite late on, mid-to-late 50s is a good guess, as is 80-90-ish for Gran.
Gran's relationship to the family is similarly never explained that I recall, nor that I can find from a quick skim through the book. I would hazard a guess that she's not a biological relative but a close family friend in that very old-school working class way.
As to the earlier question about Booth and Mitchell, for Series 5 Tony was paid £300 per episode whilst Warren got £1,000. Sims, similarly, tended to get £300 for each appearance.
Quote: Tommy Griff @ 25th August 2022, 2:40 PMThinking of questions and observations as they come to me (sorry)
Why did both Una Stubbs and Anthony Booth not star in the 1972 Film of the show? They return in the later series.
Una Stubbs was heavily pregnant (with composer Christian Henson) and unable to work. Anthony Booth was busy with stage work, and it came at the nadir of his relationship with Mitchell, so it's unlikely he'd have taken the role regardless.
Somewhat famously, Mitchell went down on his knees to ask Booth to come back to the TV series when it returned a couple of years later.
Nobody should have appeared in the 1972 film - because it's quite possibly the worst film ever made
Absolute tripe
And I liked the tv shows
Quote: lofthouse @ 27th August 2022, 4:22 PMNobody should have appeared in the 1972 film - because it's quite possibly the worst film ever made
Absolute tripe
And I liked the tv shows
I somewhat agree - it just lost that spark without Anthony and Una. But Warren and Dandy were as superb as ever.
Quote: Aaron @ 25th August 2022, 5:25 PMAlf and Else's ages are never clearly defined that I recall, but as Alf is not yet retired until quite late on, mid-to-late 50s is a good guess, as is 80-90-ish for Gran.
Gran's relationship to the family is similarly never explained that I recall, nor that I can find from a quick skim through the book. I would hazard a guess that she's not a biological relative but a close family friend in that very old-school working class way.
As to the earlier question about Booth and Mitchell, for Series 5 Tony was paid £300 per episode whilst Warren got £1,000. Sims, similarly, tended to get £300 for each appearance.
Una Stubbs was heavily pregnant (with composer Christian Henson) and unable to work. Anthony Booth was busy with stage work, and it came at the nadir of his relationship with Mitchell, so it's unlikely he'd have taken the role regardless.
Somewhat famously, Mitchell went down on his knees to ask Booth to come back to the TV series when it returned a couple of years later.
Thank you for the above.
I was certain 'Gran' was Rita's 'Gran' for sure. But couldn't work out why everyone else called her 'Gran' even with Rita not in attendance. EG Pub scenes.
In OFAH, everyone called Uncle Albert , "Uncle Albert" ....
